“We’re trying to obviously get big up front and get really strong down the middle of our defense and then try to build from there.” – John Schneider on Seattle Sports 710

The Seahawks entered the offseason needing to fill six positions before they got to the draft. They have gone 5 for 6, re-signing Leonard Williams and Noah Fant, trading for Sam Howell and swapping out their linebackers and safeties.

Player for player, they made these swaps:

They also retained Michael Jackson, Darrell Taylor, Artie Burns, Jon Rhattigan and Myles Adams (ERFA). They brought back former UDFA George Fant, who will start at right tackle if Abe Lucas can’t and will play sixth man/super tight end and swing tackle if Lucas is healthy. They also added another backup guard, Tremayne Anchrum Jr.

They still have no left guard as John Schneider notably continues to avoid spending any money on interior linemen, but they otherwise have addressed all of their needs.

As Mike Macdonald told NFL Network at the league meetings in Orlando, “We have a plan in place, but you’re just trying to do your best day by day and stack days. And now we look back five or six weeks, I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress. But there’s just so much work still to do.”

There is somewhat of a pointless debate online about whether the Seahawks are putting together a team for 2024 or working on 2025. The answer, as always with Schneider, is both.

After going out of his box in 2023 with the big signing of Dre Jones, Schneider went back to his standard formula of signing outside guys to one- or two-year deals. Williams was the only guy signed for more than two years. Both of the Fants and Rayshawn Jenkins got two-year deals. Everyone else is on a tryout contract.

Macdonald summed up the squad like this: “I think we’re hungry. I think we’re a determined group. I think we have a lot of people on our team, both players and coaches, that have a lot to prove.”

Some think the Hawks are planning for 2025 because they ended up in the COMPetition for the first time in five years. It’s just happenstance. They have not had many desirable free agents in recent years, but this year they had five departing players qualify for that formula, and they look like they will end up getting a 4 and 5 next year for Damien Lewis and Jordyn Brooks. The 5 would replace the one they gave up for Williams last October.

There’s a pause in free agency as Schneider and Macdonald attend the owners’ meetings in Orlando. Then, Schneider said on his radio show, the Hawks will resume bringing in players for visits. They are still looking for pass rush help, reportedly showing interest in Randy Gregory. And they clearly need a starting left guard. They have maybe $4 million left at this point, but they can and will create more space.

Let’s look at how the roster stands right now and what might be coming down the line.

QUARTERBACK

Added: Sam Howell.
Lost: Drew Lock.
Once Lock signed with the Giants, Seattle looked at the QB landscape, doing the numbers on teams that need QBs and the QBs who had performed well at the Combine. Schneider clearly was not optimistic about getting a QB in the first round, so he called Washington about Howell and beat out three other teams for him. He said the thought was: “We need to get on this thing. And we got on it.” Schneider declared Geno Smith the starter and Howell his backup, but Howell likely is auditioning for the starting gig for 2025.
Schneider on Howell: “The day we played here (in 2023), that hit home how tough he was, how strong he was. Keeping his eyes downfield, finding the open receiver and, yeah, shoot, almost winning the game there at the end. … We got great reviews on him and we loved him coming out of college. We’re happy to get him in the mix.”
What’s next: Asked whether the Howell trade changes Seattle’s draft approach, Schneider said, “No, not necessarily.” But, as he also pointed out, it seems unlikely they will be in position to get one of the top first-round passers. So this season will be Smith and Howell, and then we will see what happens in 2025. It is possible the Hawks extend Smith again, if he performs well and takes the team to the playoffs. Howell is under contract through 2025, so they also could let Smith go and start Howell. The 2025 draft is not projected to be nearly as good as this draft for quarterbacks, so Howell seems to be option 1A for replacing Smith right now. Maybe Schneider drafts a guy on Day 3 as well.

RUNNING BACK

Lost: DeeJay Dallas.
This position is locked down with former second-round picks Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnay as the 1-2 punch. Kenny McIntosh, a seventh-rounder in 2023, will assume the third spot after Dallas signed with Arizona.
What’s next: This position is set for 2024-25.

WIDE RECEIVER

The Hawks’ only move at this spot was reworking Tyler Lockett’s contract to free up $8.34 million. Lockett likely will be playing his final season in Seattle, as the No. 3 behind DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Fan favorite Jake Bobo returns as the No. 4.
What’s next: The futures of both Metcalf and Lockett are in the crosshairs as their 2025 cap hits are No. 2 and 3 on the team behind Smith. Lockett seems destined to move on after 2024, which would free up $17 million for 2025. Metcalf will need an extension, which would cut his $29.5 million cap hit in half. Some think the Hawks could look to trade Metcalf rather than re-sign him. He would need to have a good year for his trade value to match his salary. And the Hawks would need to have a plan for the position without him. If they do deal Metcalf, maybe Lockett returns and they draft a guy.

TIGHT END

Re-signed: Noah Fant.
Added: Pharaoh Brown.
Lost: Colby Parkinson, Will Dissly (cut).
As expected, the Hawks cut the overpaid Will Dissly, saving $6.9 million. The other tight ends went the opposite of how we thought it would go. Parkinson had a very robust market, getting $7.5 million a year from the Rams. Fant re-signed for $21 million over two years, a year after he played on a $6.85 million option. Schneider has a history of overpaying tight ends, but the talented Fant is capable of living up to this deal if new OC Ryan Grubb makes sure he gets the ball. Schneider said Brown is one of the top blocking tight ends in the NFL, which explains why he got $3.2 million.
What’s next: Some think the Hawks might look at the top tight end in the draft, Georgia’s Brock Bowers. That seems as unlikely as Seattle drafting a guard. More likely is a mid-round addition.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Added: George Fant, Nick Harris, Tremayne Anchrum Jr.
Lost: Damien Lewis, Evan Brown.
Lewis got $13.25 million a year from Carolina, and the Hawks figure to fill his spot with a cheap vet later. If Anchrum or Harris is the starter there, that is probably trouble. … Fant was a good signing, insurance for Lucas and otherwise a great sixth man and depth player. … Olu Oluwatimi likely will start at center and Anthony Bradford at RG. Cross your fingers. … The Hawks have the lowest-paid line in the NFL for the second time under Schneider. The last time was 2016, and that did not go well for the offense.
Schneider on Fant: “He can play left tackle, can play right tackle, has played a little guard in the past. We know him very well, obviously. … His role will be as like a utility offensive tackle.”
What’s next: UW’s Troy Fautanu would be a plug-and-play left guard, but Schneider does not seem like he favors that pick. He probably will look to the middle rounds for interior players again.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Re-signed: Leonard Williams.
Added: Johnathan Hankins.
Lost: Mario Edwards, Bryan Mone (cut).
The top priority was Williams, and Schneider and lead negotiator Matt Thomas got that done – avoiding wasting the second-rounder in this draft and 2025 fifth-rounder they gave up for Williams last season. We figured Williams’ market would remain around $21 million, and it did. … The 325-pound Hankins hopefully still has something left. The 31-year-old comes over from Dallas, where he played for new Seattle DC Aden Durde. … Cameron Young and Mike Morris did nothing as rookies, so we will see what Macdonald and Durde can do with them in 2024. Morris played for Macdonald at Michigan in 2021. Myles Adams also returns.
What’s next: The Hawks need a nose tackle for the future, but there are not many in this draft. Byron Murphy of Texas is the No. 1 interior DL prospect and is the guy many match with the Hawks in the first round. … Dre Jones is one of the guys who has a lot to prove; if he does not play to his salary, he could be a cap cut in 2025. That would bring back $16.5 million.

EDGE RUSHER

Re-signed: Darrell Taylor.
Uchenna Nwosu will be back off the pectoral injury that ended his 2023 season in October. He and Boye Mafe are the top guys and should be better in Macdonald’s system. … We have made it clear we are not big Taylor fans, but the Hawks decided to bring him back. We’ll see whether Macdonald and Durde can get a lot more out of Taylor and Derick Hall (a reach pick in the second round in 2023).
What’s next: They clearly are not satisfied with their edge group. They have been hunting around and still could sign Gregory, who played with Hankins under Durde in Dallas. Maybe they are hoping to trade Taylor, as we suggested they do last year at this time.

LINEBACKER

Added: Tyrel Dodson, Jerome Baker.
Lost: Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Devin Bush, Nick Bellore (cut).
As expected, it was a clean sweep at this spot. Dodson and Baker, both in Seattle on one-year deals, figure to start and offer better coverage, at least, than did Wagner and Brooks. Dodson will play the middle and Baker (apparently the better pass rusher) on the weak side, Schneider said. … Patrick Queen, who played for Macdonald in Baltimore, could have been had for cheaper than expected ($14 million a year), but the Hawks obviously didn’t have nearly the interest that some thought.
Schneider on Dodson: “He’s slightly undersized but has great eyes, great feel for flow, being able to find the ball inside … and then the coverage stuff is really, really, really impressive.”
Schneider on Baker: “We’ve been working on Jerome since the day he was released, really. … He’s just a run-and-hit guy. He’s had a lot of production — a lot of sack production, too. The one thing that stands out about him is his range. He can really fly around the field.”
What’s next: Dodson and Baker are both trying out for 2025. Meanwhile, there are some good linebackers on Day 2 of the draft.

SECONDARY

Re-signed: Artie Burns, Mike Jackson.
Added: Rayshawn Jenkins, K’Von Wallace.
Lost: Quandre Diggs (cut), Jamal Adams (cut).
The releases of Adams and Diggs were expected. Some fans want them back for cheaper, but that is incredibly unlikely after the Hawks signed Jenkins and Wallace. Jenkins figures to start opposite Pro Bowler Julian Love, and Wallace could play in Macdonald’s favored three-safety packages. Schneider said the Seahawks have had their eyes on Wallace for a while and once talked to the Eagles about trading for him (he was a fourth-round pick by Philly in 2020). …  The Hawks also have Coby Bryant and Jerrick Reed, a promising sixth-rounder from 2023. … At corner, the Hawks tendered Jackson for about $3 million and also brought back Burns. So this remains the deepest spot on the team – led by Pro Bowl CB Devon Witherspoon. … Tariq Woolen will have to beat out Tre Brown and Jackson if he wants to start. He didn’t show much interest in 2023, so it would not be a shock if he did not make the team or if perhaps he gets traded at some point.
Schneider on Jenkins: “Can play in the hole, can play in the box. He’s a physical football player, great ball skills, lots of range, gets his hands on the ball. He’s always been a really fiery explosive player that carries himself with a lot of juice.”
Schneider on both Jenkins and Wallace: “The fact that we were about to add both of those guys creates a ton of depth, ton of competition and options… as we try to get stronger in the middle of our defense.”
What’s next: Love could be extended, if Macdonald thinks he fits. That might not happen until the eve of the season, if it happens at all. … If Woolen continues his uninspired play, he won’t last on this squad. Then it would come down to Brown vs. Jackson, both for 2024 and 2025.